Reasonable Doubts

Last updated
Reasonable Doubts
Reasonable Doubts.jpg
Genre Police procedural
Created by Robert Singer
Starring Mark Harmon
Marlee Matlin
Theme music composer Brad Fiedel
ComposerRoss Levinson
Country of originUnited States
Original languages
  • English
  • American Sign Language
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes44
Production
Executive producerRobert Singer
Producer Jim Michaels
Production locations Chicago
Stage 27A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Stage 28, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Stage 28A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesDecember 3rd Productions
Lorimar Television
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseSeptember 26, 1991 (1991-09-26) 
April 27, 1993 (1993-04-27)

Reasonable Doubts is an American police drama television series created by Robert Singer, which broadcast in the United States by NBC that ran from September 26, 1991, to April 27, 1993.

Contents

Synopsis

Reasonable Doubts is primarily about the working relationship between Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman (Marlee Matlin), a prosecutor very sensitive to the rights of the accused, and hard-charging, gruff Detective Dicky Cobb (Mark Harmon), an old-fashioned cop with a "bust-the-perps" attitude. The reason that these two are assigned to work together was that Cobb is one of the few available police officers who knows sign language, and Tess, like the actress who portrayed her, is deaf. Dicky is usually more frustrated by Tess' sympathy for the suspects than by her deafness; he also repeats what Tess says back to her to make sure that he understood it (Tess can also read lips) and this allowed the audience to understand her part of the dialogue. Dicky also spoke as he signed to Tess.

Both characters are romantically involved with other people when the series opens: Tess is estranged from, but still in contact with, her husband Bruce (Tim Grimm); Dicky had a manipulative girlfriend named Kay Lockman (Nancy Everhard), who is, unsurprisingly, quite jealous of Tess, and not without reason, as a considerable mutual attraction, despite their differences, has developed between Tess and Dicky. The situation becomes more complicated with the death of Kay early in the second season, freeing the characters to pursue the relationship at least somewhat, although its resolution is still up in the air when the program was not renewed for a third season. Cobb was also involved with flinty lawyer Maggie Zombro (Kay Lenz), an early continuing character who became a regular in later seasons. [1]

Executive producer Bob Singer gained some interest from the network in spinning off the show into a straight cop drama starring Harmon and Jim Beaver, who had played Dicky's friend and partner Detective Earl Gaddis from the beginning of the show, but ultimately NBC demurred.

Cast

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 21September 26, 1991 (1991-09-26)September 15, 1992 (1992-09-15)
2 23September 29, 1992 (1992-09-29)April 27, 1993 (1993-04-27)

Season 1 (1991–92)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Pilot"Robert SingerRobert SingerSeptember 26, 1991 (1991-09-26)
22"Hard Bargains"James QuinnSteven Phillip SmithSeptember 27, 1991 (1991-09-27)
33"Making Dirt Stick" Joe Napolitano Kathy McCormickOctober 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)
44"Daddy's Little Girl"Armand MastroianniStory by: Michael Marks & John Schulian
Teleplay by: Steven Phillip Smith & Kathy McCormick
October 18, 1991 (1991-10-18)
55"...and Sleep Won't Come"Bill D'EliaJohn SchulianOctober 25, 1991 (1991-10-25)
66"The Silent Treatment"Charles Robert CarnerStory by: Robert Singer & Steven Phillip Smith
Teleplay by: John Schulian & Kathy McCormick
November 1, 1991 (1991-11-01)
77"Tangled Up in Blue"Randy ZiskRobert Singer & John SchulianNovember 8, 1991 (1991-11-08)
88"Aftermath"James A. ConterSteven Phillip SmithNovember 15, 1991 (1991-11-15)
99"One Woman's World"Eric LaneuvilleKathy McCormickNovember 29, 1991 (1991-11-29)
1010"Graduation Day"Robert SingerMichael MarksDecember 5, 1991 (1991-12-05)
1111"Pure Gold"Peter LevinJohn SchulianDecember 13, 1991 (1991-12-13)
1212"Dicky's Got the Blues"James QuinnSteven Phillip SmithDecember 20, 1991 (1991-12-20)
1313"The Shadow of Death"UnknownUnknownJanuary 17, 1992 (1992-01-17)
1414"The Discomfort Zone"UnknownUnknownFebruary 4, 1992 (1992-02-04)
1515"Fish Out of Water"UnknownUnknownFebruary 11, 1992 (1992-02-11)
1616"Burning Desire"UnknownUnknownMarch 3, 1992 (1992-03-03)
1717"Love is Strange"UnknownUnknownMarch 17, 1992 (1992-03-17)
1818"Home is Where the Heart is"UnknownUnknownMarch 17, 1992 (1992-03-17)
1919"Maggie Finds Her Soul"UnknownUnknownMarch 24, 1992 (1992-03-24)
2020"Home to Roost"UnknownUnknownSeptember 8, 1992 (1992-09-08)
2121"Change of Plans"UnknownUnknownSeptember 15, 1992 (1992-09-15)

Season 2 (1992–93)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
221"Lifelines"Randy ZiskSteven Phillip Smith & Kathy McCormickSeptember 29, 1992 (1992-09-29)
232
243"FAP"UnknownUnknownOctober 6, 1992 (1992-10-06)
254"Moment of Doubt"UnknownUnknownOctober 27, 1992 (1992-10-27)
265"Mercury in Retrograde"UnknownUnknownNovember 10, 1992 (1992-11-10)
276"Try to Be Nice, What Does It Get You?"UnknownUnknownNovember 17, 1992 (1992-11-17)
287"Brother's Keeper"UnknownUnknownDecember 1, 1992 (1992-12-01)
298"Self Defense"UnknownUnknownDecember 8, 1992 (1992-12-08)
309"A Rose is a Rose"UnknownUnknownDecember 15, 1992 (1992-12-15)
3110"Silence"UnknownUnknownDecember 22, 1992 (1992-12-22)
3211"Legacy"Robert SingerMelinda M. SnodgrassJanuary 5, 1993 (1993-01-05)
3312"Two Women"UnknownUnknownJanuary 12, 1993 (1993-01-12)
3413"The Iceman"UnknownUnknownJanuary 19, 1993 (1993-01-19)
3514"Run Through the Jungle"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1993 (1993-01-26)
3615"Thank God, It's Friday"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1993 (1993-01-26)
3716"Sister, Can You Spare a Dime?"UnknownUnknownMarch 13, 1993 (1993-03-13)
3817"Crumbling Systems"UnknownUnknownMarch 20, 1993 (1993-03-20)
3918"Diminished Capacity"UnknownUnknownMarch 27, 1993 (1993-03-27)
4019"Wish You Were Here"UnknownEd ZuckermanApril 3, 1993 (1993-04-03)
4120"The Ties That Bind"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1993 (1993-04-13)
4221
4322"Trust Me on This"UnknownKathy McCormick & Ed ZuckermanApril 27, 1993 (1993-04-27)
4423

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
1992 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movies of the Week/PilotsRobert PrimesNominated
Golden Globe Award Best Actor – Television Series Drama Mark Harmon Nominated
Best Actress – Television Series Drama Marlee Matlin Nominated
1993Best Actor – Television Series Drama Mark Harmon Nominated
Best Actress – Television Series Drama Marlee Matlin Nominated
1992 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Kay Lenz Nominated
1993Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a SeriesRichard M. Rawlings Jr. (For episode "Lifelines")Nominated
1992 Viewers for Quality Television Award Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series Mark Harmon Nominated
Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series Marlee Matlin Nominated
1993Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series Mark Harmon Nominated
Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series Marlee Matlin Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series Kay Lenz Won
Best Specialty Player Leslie Jordan Nominated
1994 Writers Guild of America Award Episodic Drama Ed Zuckerman (For episode "Thank God, It's Friday")Nominated

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References

  1. Everett, Todd (November 16, 1992). "Reasonable Doubts Try to Be Nice– What Does It Get You?". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2017.